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I paused. Since we were alone right now, I had another question for Tal. Perhaps asking him here at the border of Faust’s domain wasn’t the best timing, but there was a slim chance we wouldn’t make it out of here tonight, and there was something that I wanted to know.
“Did my fae mother ask you to stop Ostara from raising me herself?”
Tal did a double take. My question surprised him.
“How did you find out about that?” he whispered.
I tapped my temple. “I was there. Remember?”
He huffed. “Yes, but you shouldn’t remember. Ostara buried your memories, though I guess it is about time that the glamour breaks.”
“So, it was my fae parents’ idea?” I pressed.
Tal lifted his chin and shook his head. “Not at all. They had fanciful ideas and far too much faith in Ostara to protect you. I knew that their plan would fail just as easily as their court did. I had to do something to make sure that you didn’t suffer, too.”
At first, it warmed my heart that he wanted something so nice for me. I didn’t realize how badly I wanted someone to see me as a person and not a means towards their own ends. I didn’t realize that I’d grown to resent my friends for asking for my help, but I had. It was always about their story. Now, it was about the Seelie court’s revival.
Not about me.
But Tal had to go and blow that sentimentality out of the water. He straightened and adjusted his jacket, pulling away from me entirely.
“Without you, this wouldn’t be happening. We wouldn’t have a chance to fight Beryl. You grew up in a harsher environment, which made you far better equipped to handle this fight.”
Fist clenched at my side, I nearly socked him in the side of his head. Now wasn’t the time to yell at him, but a scream built in my throat all the same.
Somehow, I kept my voice level and quiet when I asked, “So you knew what Alvin would become, and you left me there all the same?”
Tal hung his head. “I couldn’t just leave a fae child with human parents. Could I? The options in Lakesedge were slim. Beryl couldn’t touch you so long as you were a part of the Pack, and Alvin was very clearly distracted by his own nemesis.”
“You mean my best friend? The one I got to watch suffer and die in front of me? The one that I almost bled out for? Thatnemesis?” I stormed ahead, charging into Faust’s forest.
“I groveled before Audra Miura on your behalf. I hope you know that. While Beryl’s back was turned, I pressed my forehead to the ground before that Kitsune just so you could have a guardian.”
His words caught me off guard. I almost went rushing back to him. Not because of his confession. No, that wasn’t what sent the jolt of electricity running from the crown of my head down to the tips of my toes.
Audra was aKitsune?
Why hadn’t we seen it before? I wanted to rush back to my friends and tell them what I’d learned. It all made sense now. All the signs that we’d slowly been gathering, all the evidence that we’d compiled, it all pointed towards the obvious now.
Audra was aKitsune!
The new knowledge couldn’t lessen the blow of knowing that Tal wasn’t a father figure. He didn’t help me because he loved me, but because I was a tool. The anger still simmered deep within my core. It shoved me forward towards the one person that didn’t see me as a means to an end.
Rhoan, I’m coming!
Nothing leapt out at me in the forest, which was a surprise that left my skin crawling. I could still feel eyes on me. I couldn’t help but feel as thought Faust expected us. He was going to be prepared.
How could he? I didn’t even tell Rhoan that we were coming. Though, I figured it was only a matter of time before I came for my knight. There was no way that I was leaving him in Faust’s hands, and Faust knew that almost better than anyone. Rhoan’s only weak spot was me.
Though, I wish I could have said he was my only weak spot. I was starting to feel like I had a lot of them. This fight wore me so thin that the forest breeze blew right through me.
Blue light flared ahead. I halted and crouched low so I could watch from a distance. Several standing stones blocked part of my view, but between them I could see dancing spirits. The Sluagh celebrated around a blue fire in the center. They raised weapons and cried into the night.
As if I needed more evidence that they were expecting me.
I patted my pocket to make sure that the potion was still there. This time, I’d made sure to use a metal flask so that there was no chance of the vial breaking on me. Faust could throw me around all he liked, this bad boy wasn’t going to shatter. The first moment I reached Rhoan, I was going to feed him the potion.
There was no waiting until after the battle. It needed to happen sooner rather than later, and no one was going to stop me.
